1. Create a Strong Headline - The headline of your press release should be no more than 10 words but make them the best, most descriptive words. Try to avoid hype, hyperbole or sales talk. You should be summarizing the content of your release.

2. Tell Who, What, When and Where in Paragraph One - Don't wait until the middle of your release to get to the important information. If a reporter did not have time to read beyond the first paragraph, everything they need to know should be there. The language you use for your marketing materials is not appropriate in press releases. Just provide the facts.

3. Tell Why and How in a Quote - While quotes from releases are not always used, they are helpful to include more background information, utilize opinion and be a little more "salesy" because it comes from an actual person and not you, the marketer. Compose the quotes yourself to make sure they are consisten with your message then get the "spokesperson" to approve them.

4. Include All Contact Information - In this day and age, it is remiss not to include your email address and even cellphone number on a release as a way to contact for further information.

5. Include a URL - If you have a web site, make sure you include the URL or web address in your release. Take advantage of the medium and create an extra page of background information for the journalist's convenience on your web site in a special "Media" section.

6. Keep it Short - The ideal length of a release is 1 page long. Usually, a 2nd page would include information that supplements the first page such as a list of dates or list of partners in a project or event. Sometimes, when there are many partners working on the release, it gets longer than desired. Do your best to pare it down to the most essential information.

Understanding what the media wants is a surefire way of landing more press for your company, event, product or you. Here are three things the media is looking for, and if you craft your pitch to fill either one, two or all three of these things, you'll hit the PR jackpot.

1. News - What is deemed news is in the eye of the beholder or the media outlet so do your homework and read, watch or listen to see what a particular media outlet likes to cover. Ultimately, however, they are out to provide news, not help you market your company.

2. Value- Media outlets want to provide value to their readers, viewers or listeners. What can you provide a journalist that is valuable information for their audience? If you are an expert in some area, give your Top 5 Tips on the topic. Let the valuable information come first, and the marketing of you and your company will happen.

3. Human Interest - The media is always looking for human interest stories - stories that are compelling, that tug on the heartstrings or invoke emotions of some kind in their audience. What are you doing that is heartwarming or exciting? How could your story appeal to a wide audience? What is the human side of what you are doing?

Realizing that you need to cater your story to the media rather than expecting them to cater to you will help make your pitch and approach much more palatable to the busy journalist.

Clear communication is key to getting your message across to others, but why should people listen, particularly if they don't know who you are? Positioning yourself as an expert is a marketing tactic used by business people, authors, public speakers, and anyone else who wants to be heard and viewed as credible.

Why Be An Expert?

When you are looking to convey your message to a group of people or even the media, one of the first subliminal thoughts that passes through people's minds is "who are they, and why should I listen?" Whether you are looking to be a speaker at an event, get hired as a consultant or be quoted by the media, you have a better shot at a positive response when you tout yourself as an expert.

Journalists are always seeking experts to quote in articles or on television or radio segments. Conference organizers are more apt to book an expert, particularly someone who has published on a particular topic, versus someone who simply claims to be a dynamic speaker. Anyone who is looking to hire a consultant will more likely engage the person with a bonafide expertise than someone who doesn't have the pertinent credentials. So how do you go about being that expert?

How To Be An Expert

The first step in positioning yourself as an expert is to ask yourself, "What am I good at? What do I have an expertise in? What am I qualified to talk about with authority." You'd be surprised how much you know and have experienced that can be translated into a credible expertise. Be honest with yourself and with others because as quickly as you build a reputation as an expert, if you are stretching the truth, you will lose credibility even faster once you cannot deliver.

In my case, I had learned about the Internet in the late 80s and about the Web in 1994. Because I had been online for several years exploring the possibilities of using the Internet as a marketing tool before most people even had a modem in their computer, I decided that I could honestly position myself as an Internet expert, particularly after I took a course on HTML (hypertext markup language - the basic programming behind web sites.

My next step was to provide my knowledge to others in the form of an Internet marketing column that I wrote - without pay - for a local neighborhood newspaper. In lieu of payment, I opted for a small advertisement at the end of each column that promoted me as an Internet consultant and expert. The columns actually led to a high paying client, but